|
|
|
|
|
Comical formula
Can you guess the one thing that television actors can't do without? This should be as easy as guessing the name of the serial kisser in Bollywood! Glycerin — absolutely right!
A bottle full of tears is what no television actor, irrespective of age or sex, can do without. Now Karan Grover and Pooja Pihal, the lead pair of SAB TV's Hum Aapke Hain In Laws, have defied the universal law. "We haven't used glycerin for weeks," they look at each other. "I used it just once," Pooja is quick to add. So far so good, the on screen couple has managed to bring about a small change with their 'laugh-a-riot show'. In Chandigarh to shed no tears, Karan, who plays Gulshan Grover, and Pooja, who plays Damini, dole out their story of fun. Bouts of creativity A chemical engineer, an event manager, a model…this story goes back in time when TV actor Karan Grover was pursuing engineering, something that he wasn't keen on. "My story is something close to 3 Idiots. My parents wanted me to do something useful; so I took up engineering. Towards the last day, my teacher told my parents that they should let me take up some acting course since I was always into extra-circular activities," smiles the actor, who dabbles with comedy for the first time. The chocolate boy, known for his mushy roles, is now throwing punches on screen. "I must say this is the most difficult genre. In other dramas, it is camera that also does quiet a bit of work; in comedy you have to hold the attention of the camera," shares Karan who fell in love with his character's name — Gulshan Grover. "I have a fascination for names," he adds as a matter of fact. Karan is one of the
few actors in the television industry who is not bothered about being stereotyped. "Everything is here for a reason. I am glad
that the audiences like me in a particular kind of role. Comedy is indeed a challenge," he reassures, in case we haven't taken note of it. It isn't that bland also. Karan likes to dive into an extremely creative pool once in a while!
"Maybe once in a leap year; I went bald for one of my roles and I loved it. I go through this sudden change sometimes. It is the audiences who like me in a certain way," adds Karan, who is enjoying his innings in Hum Aapke Hain In Laws. From negative to positive She was being requested to stop her villainous
ways (on screen); she was asked not to torment anyone (of course on screen). "Now, I am making the audiences laugh," says Pooja, who is also seen in Pavitra Rishta and Ek dusrey sey karety hain pyar hum. "I am enjoying my role in Sab Tv's Hum Aapke Hain In Laws. jasmine@tribunemail.com
|
|
Band width
Romantic, sentimental numbers are their signature style. Jab koi baat bigad jaye and Hotel California almost their anthem. Rodrigues, the oldest band from Chandigarh, has been around for close to three decades and still a hit with city folks. All set to rock your Thursday and Friday evenings at The Pewter Room-26, brothers Edwin and Errol Rodrigues, share notes with us.
The beginning We would largely stage shows along with others, including our sisters Esther and Ellona, during the late eighties largely for charitable events. We took up teaching profession but as the demand for our music grew, we chose the latter over the former. Surviving the DJ There have been times when we felt threatened in these long three decades. Especially when 'DJ' came, we thought this is the end of it. By god's grace, the threat was purely imaginary and we have always been called for parties, weddings, anniversaries, corporate shows and more. Over the years Gone is the melody and lyrics, which have been replaced by heavy beats, but old music will always be in vogue. Technology has given us all an edge. While earlier we would jam for 18 hours for new songs, now we do our bits, share with various mediums and discuss over the phone, and while doing the sound check, we are good to go. Playing together for so long now we can communicate through looks only. We do hope to have an album in place though we can't promise when. Music of today In the world of singles that can easily be doctored through technological support, a hit does not promise real talent. On the plus side, anyone keen on music can learn online. To youngsters we have two things to say - stay away from drugs and delve deep into music. Alcohol and drugs eventually lead to downfall; see what happened to The Beatles…they were the best, most celebrated. And, learn well, it goes a long way! mona@tribunemail.com
|
|
The sound of images
When music and science merge, the result is destined to be something unique. And when it's presented by an acoustic music trio along with an ingenious visual artist, the impact becomes all the more phenomenal. The group Imaginary Folklores (IF) brilliantly crafts a concept of warm, appealing music to go with the captivating visual projections. The group is in Chandigarh for a concert at Alliance Francaise.
The concept With such endless possibilities and an astounding effect that evokes the audience interest, scenography is now largely accepted in many fields; music just adds the icing on the cake. "We love the mix of image and sound. It's a methodological approach. While we go by the theoretical approach for sound designing, we extensively use refined technology and creativity at the visual end. We project three layers of screen to play hide and seek in an artistic ambience. The imagery is carefully chosen according to the music," says Alexandre, the visual artist. "Researching in a relatively new field, we have a lot of opportunities to invent, discover and learn. It's rather a feeling of freshness as we go about our business," says Otso, the guitarist. The inspiration Influences from India, Finland, France, South Africa, Canada and Argentina put together in an improvised manner is what defines Imaginary Folklores. "It's entertainment in a spiritual context. Our music will tell you a story, take you to a world
that communicates more than just music; a connection that echoes in our souls through a rhythmic bond," says Mauro, the violoncellist. "We all met in Brussels as friends or acquaintances. While it started off as a hobby, we soon discovered how much we love innovating music and improvising it," says Otso, who adds that their music starts off on a mellow note and slowly moves into a deeper rhythm. India connect While ideas and inspiration have brought them to Chandigarh, Indian music has inspired the artists deeply. The flutist Fabian's love for India is more because of his connection with Indian artists and a wife of Indian origin. He speaks of India with a gleam in his eyes, "It feels very good when we
work, travel or just walk around here."
|
||||||
|
Southern delight
"Na-asti dhanya sana priyam" no wealth is more satisfying than food. With this philosophy, Shree Rathnam, promoted by the stalwarts from some of the best known food chains across the country, has set foot on Chandigarh promising to provide an exhaustive menu of authentic South Indian, North Indian and Chinese delicacies at a reasonable price.
Shares Manish Goyal, director Shree Rathnam, "We were having some issues with our former brand, Sagar Ratna, which were not getting resolved for the past more than a year. Shree Rathnam has been promoted by some former key top managers who steered Sagar Ratna when the chain was at its peak, and some other stalwarts drawn from other well known chains across the country." He adds, "We have tweaked our existing menus and added some new preparations like palak dosa, pesart dosa, maharaja dosa and vegetable biryani. We will keep adding more on a regular basis keeping in mind the tastes, flavours and trends of local markets," Shree Rathnam chain of restaurants is committed to providing its patrons the most delicious, finest and freshest authentic South Indian food all made with the finest ingredients. "We want the taste, flavour and aroma to linger on at least in the mind, if not in the mouth, of the diner," adds Manish. — TNS
|
||||||
|
Liven up with lemons
Kandla Nijhowne
Aahhh.....lemon curd! It's tangy, tart, sweet and fragrant. It's thick, soft, creamy, and spreadable. It's a bit too intense to be eaten by itself but it's marvellous as a filling for cakes, pastries and tarts. Fold it into whipped cream and then ladle that over a fruit salad. Flavour ordinary yogurt with it for that sharp kick. Spread it over cookies for that special teatime-feel! Smear on to warm pancakes, slice a banana over it, roll up and serve with cream or custard. Dear readers, I now present you my lemon curd recipe! I've already rattled off countless possibilities for its use. So, kick up a tango with this tangy creation. Bon appetite! Method
(Nijhowne is a Chandigarh-based culinary expert)
|
||||||
|
Clean & clear
The KAS fluid lift technique, developed by double American Board certified plastic surgeon, Dr Ajaya Kashyap offers a solution for face rejuvenation. "This treatment is non-surgical and gives long lasting effects. The technology uses the individual's own fat cells which are then harvested and enriched with platelets, growth factor and stem-cells," he shares. Anyone at any age can be a candidate for the KAS fluid facelift. It is minimally invasive and improves the texture and health of the skin as well as replenishing or enhancing the volume where it is either lost or has been deficient.
The first step is obtaining good quality PRP. The candidate's own blood is taken which is similar in amount to the blood usually withdrawn for blood tests. The hollowness of the cheeks and folds around the nose are filled up and the skin gets a youthful glow. The only side effect can be some swelling and very minor bruising. There is little need for any medications other than over the counter analgesics for a day or so. —TNS
|
||||||
The hot chef
Malaika Arora Khan has a great body and she is a foodie, which is an enviable gift to have! She loves food: eating, cooking and sharing. And dreams of starting her a restaurant. She talks about her passion. Food fundas I love eating, cooking and feeding people. I want to start my own restaurant one day and I know the food will be good and affordable. When I am not working, I am cooking. I am a foodie though I might not look like one. I love a variety of cuisines but my favourite is spicy food. Favourite food I love Thai food, it is my favourite. My mouth starts watering at the thought of it. I love Sushi too. Many of my friends make amazing cheesecakes and I am learning from them because I love cheesecakes. I am not too fond of sweets, though. Best chef I feel my mom is the best cook ever! I swear by her recipes but my food never turns out as good as hers. I think she does not tell me the secret ingredients (laughs). Like there is a fish curry from Kerala that we make a day in advance so that the flavours amalgamate beautifully. I make it and it is a flop! Signature dishes My friends love the sushi I make, my husband Arbaaz likes Khau Swe which is Burmese and my son Arhaan likes risotto. His friends love my Margarita and pizza when they come over. Dream restaurant I am working hard towards becoming a master chef. I am reading books and attending cookery classes because I want to sharpen my cooking skills. My love for food will translate into a restaurant one day. I have a few concepts and ideas lined up for the same so I will take some time off and work on this dream of mine.
Comeback trail
Determined to make Rambo Rajkumar his perfect comeback vehicle Shahid Kapoor is leaving no stone unturned in far-off Kandla in Gujarat to ensure the project has the kind of in-your-face, slam-the-audience, nail-the-box office impact which Prabhu Deva achieved with Salman Khan in Wanted and Akshay Kumar in Rowdy Rathore. From the simmering rugged location in Gujarat, one came to know that Shahid pulled in his director Prabhu Deva to do a jig and to contribute to the choreography of a song-and-dance featuring Shahid and Sonakshi. "Initially Prabhu sir didn't even want to choreograph the number. He wanted to focus on direction. So he got his colleague Vishnudeva who has assisted Prabhu and choreographed numbers in his film in the past, to step in to supervise Shahid's and Sonakshi's steps. But then Shahid who can be awfully persuasive pulled Prabhu in at the last minute. Ultimately the song and dance featured Prabhu Dheva as choreographer and dancer," says a source from the sets.
Prabhu, who recently turned 40, revealed, "The song was done by Vishnu who shares my surname and has worked closely with me. But finally I am also there." Shooting with Shahid who plays a gritty gangster is a pleasurable experience for Prabhu. "I worked with Sonakshi earlier. But this is my first time with Shahid. He is equally fluent as an actor and a dancer. And this time he is doing raw action also. The amount of hard work being put in by Shahid just makes you feel inspired." Though the location is turning warm Prabhu says the weather is still pleasant enough. "We will continue as it gets warmer. But the good thing is, no one is complaining. We are all having a ball down here." We hear the action sequences that would pitch Shahid against Sonu Sood have now been postponed to a date when the latter's leg injury would be healed. Sood joins the crew of Rambo Rajkumar on 10 April with less strenuous scenes requiring minimal physical activity.
Cover girl
Esha Gupta went to Bangkok to shoot for a high-end magazine cover. She talks about Bangkok, her inspiration and shooting snags.
Bangkok rocks I love the street food, the sweetest coconut water, energetic people, cheap shopping and the night life in Bangkok. I love travelling and my favourite places are Rome and Bangkok. Rome was the most beautiful experience with my boyfriend. I also visited Pat Pong Street in Bangkok! I have even met the lady boys and I feel they are fun people and good actors and dancers. Supportive mum My mother has inspired me the most because she completely believes in me no matter what I do. She thought I could be the greatest chef, greatest lawyer, and feels I can do whatever I want and excel in it. She feels I can be a great actor. That is what mothers always do. Shooting snag Recently I had terrible time shooting. It was in Daryaganj in Delhi with 2,000-3,000 people on the street. And they were all screaming Emraan Hashmi's name and calling him the "serial kisser" and shouting "ladki ko kiss kar!" It was crazy and I am glad it got over! Good times & bad: Esha Gupta
Desi hospitality
Kangna Ranaut turned a cook for a day on the sets of her latest movie in Paris. The unit was tired of the usual pizzas and pastas everyday so Kangna treated them to desi food like bhindi masala and dal tadka which she cooked herself. Her sister used to make adrak chai in the evenings. The crew still visits her place in Mumbai for her food and hospitality.
Work and fun
Director Milan Luthria has made special arrangements to ensure that his actors do not miss the IPL action while shooting for the final schedule of Balaji's Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Again.
A special room has been designed on the set in Mumbai by the film's set designers. This is for Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Milan Luthria to watch the match in between shots. It is an air-conditioned room with all the comfort of an A-class movie theatre, a big plasma TV, plush recliners, a pool table, a refrigerator stocked with food and drinks. Milan says, "It was difficult initially, as a lot of people felt who will work if such a room is set up. But we all need to de-stress while shooting and make the process enjoyable."
First look
Sasha Agha looks super hot in the promo of Aurangzeb and she has done some daring scenes too. The promo is now out online. It looks exciting and has an interesting ensemble cast.
glam gal: Sasha Agha
Special tribute
Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukerji and Ranveer Singh feature in a special song to celebrate the occasion of Bollywood completing 100 years on May 3 along with the release of Bombay Talkies. Vaibhavi Merchant has been roped in to choreograph the song.
|
||||||
|
History revisited
Sony channel will soon bring a new show titled Bharat Ka Veer Putra-Maharana Pratap. This historical drama will be the life story of one of the first freedom fighters in India, the Rajput warrior Maharana Pratap Singh. While the teaser promos are on air, the cast is being kept under the lid.
Stitch in time
Uttaran goes international
One of Colors most popular and celebrated shows, Uttaran, started as a story of two friends, Ichcha and Tapasya, and their journey through life, changing roles and fortune. The show has over the past four years introduced new twists and turns, supplemented by interesting characters that have set trends, all the while not deviating from the central theme.
Having recently completed 1,000 episodes, Uttaran has not only managed to take the story to millions of viewers in India but has also reached out to the international markets. Now, in a first for a Colors show, Uttaran will be remade in Swahili (language) and the rights have already been sold to the popular Kiss TV in Africa. The show has retained the storyline, already shot 30 episodes with local actors and is on air! This move also comes as a first for Indian television, which has so far only adopted international formats from its counterparts across the globe. Uttaran being remade in Africa is a big leap forward for the industry and an entry into the global market where original homegrown concepts are finding takers. Commenting on the launch, Gaurav Gandhi, COO, IndiaCast said, "Uttaran is one of Colors flagship shows, known for its strong characterisation.
Slot plot!
Buzz was that Sagar Pictures' Ramayan didn't get a good reception and therefore would soon wrap up. The show is aired on Zee TV and simulcast on DD as well. However, the unit and cast members of the show are unaware of any such developments. Most of them felt if the show was promoted well, it would have got better acceptance. Many felt it was the Sunday morning slot that was the deterrent.
Show goes on
Beaten path
While Amita Ka Amit started off as a different show due to its presentation and story, it seemed to be going down the path of saas-bahu soap. After many difficulties, Amit (Nishad Vaidya) and Amita (Chandni Bhagwanani) would finally be married but post that, the bride would have to face some tough situations due to her in-laws. |
||||||
|
Astro turf
ARIES: You win over an enemy. Family life is charged with tension. Financially the first half of the day is rather expensive. Keep cool and maintain a low profile. Keep a check on your health. TAURUS: Those who are more spiritually inclined are likely to find solitude. Love life is passing through a rough phase. Businessmen have a tricky day. Wisdom will weave into your life. GEMINI: Your card "The Universe" shows good progress in your profession and business. Do not make hasty decisions. Distant affairs will become more favourable as the day progress. CANCER: You card "The Moon" reveals a romantic interest. If you have a lover, this is the day to treat them to a generous gift accompanied by an intimate dinner. Fortune can smile on you from the least expected sources. LEO: A raise is in the offing. Dress for success to make a great impression on employers. Style is everything new, so it is important to stay abreast of the latest fashion. Tarot message: Do not swing away from the course you have charted so far. VIRGO: Fresh strategies are in order but initially they will be somewhat difficult. Do not over stress yourself. Romance will be on a rise. You will feel great with your renewed energy. LIBRA: Boring routine jobs will be more bearable through teamwork. A level of stress will build, especially with financial issues. You will feel vulnerable to the criticism of neighbours or friends. SCORPIO: Be on time to complete all your jobs before the day is concluded. Make extra efforts to conclude pending projects. Secrecy of plans will help you at place of work. Do not aim for spectacular results. SAGITTARIUS: Caring conversations and heart-to-heart talks flow easily. Health will be strong. This is a good day for both buying & selling property. Stick to what you know. CAPRICORN: A burst of domestic enthusiasm can
sweep into cleaning and decorating your home. If possible get a dose of fresh air. It's a good day to travel. AQUARIUS: Differences of opinion within the family will reach a boiling point. A stubborn response on your part won't help. It is important to be patient with everyone. Do not compromise on financial issues. Tarot message: Do not over-stress yourself. PISCES: If you are not sure about a relationship, finance or career issues, take positive action rather than stewing about it. An important meeting or travel will have to be shelved. Keep a low profile and bide your time. Tarot message: Accomplish complicated tasks skillfully. Lucky colour: Brown. |
||||||
|
New releases
Chasme Baddoor
Producer: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures Director: Daivd Dhawan
David Dhawan's Chasme Baddoor is a remake of the 1980's cult film by the same name. The viewers can now rejoice as the comedy king, David, is back with yet another romcom for his fans. Produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, this comic caper boasts of fresh talent. With modern sensibilities, they add youthful exuberance to the film. Although it is a remake of the 1981 hit film Chasme Baddoor and the basic plot is borrowed, everything else is layered in a completely new fashion - right from styling to action to dialogues. The film stars Rishi Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Divyendu Sharma, debutante Taapsee Pannu, Siddharth, Lillette Dubey, Ayaz Khan, Bharti Achrekar and Anupam Kher. Fashion designer Niharika Khan, who shot to fame with her styling in Rock On!, has played with different colour palettes to create the looks for Rishi Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Taapsee Pannu, Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma. The music of Chasma Baddoor is very quirky and it will appeal to the masses. Dialogues by Sajid Farhad and choreography by Ganesh Acharya are other major credits of this film. Rise of the Zombie Producer: Luke Kenny Media, BSI Entertainment Director: Luke Kenny and Devika Singh This one is India's first zombie genre horror movie that stars Luke Kenny, Kirti Kulhari, Ashwin Mushran and Benjamin Gilani. Rise of the Zombie showcases the origin of a Zombie. The buzz is that it is different from other films attempted in this genre earlier. — Dharam Pal
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
6 egg yolks
